Bonus addition to Daddy Issues, probably should have posted at the same time as the others, but better late that never. :)
May 9, 2009 - The Discussion (Why Willow was hiding in the office and what she had to go talk to Oz about.)
Willow tapped her fingers nervously on the table as she chewed her lip, 'Is this the right time? Will it ever be the right time? Or maybe this is past time...oh, I wish there was a spell for this...'
Glancing over at her husband as he sat across the living room on the couch, she felt her cheeks warm when she realized he's stopped polishing his guitar and was watching her, his eyes showing concern.
Rising, Oz laid the instrument gently in its stand, then padded barefoot across the white shag throw carpet and pulled a chair out from the kitchen table, the feet scrapping along the hardwood the only other sound before the creak as he sat.
"What's up? You seem, tense." He asked, his voice level but she could hear the concern.
"Tense? Oh no, not tense, no tense here. I'm tense free." The nervous words spilled out, completely negated their meaning by how anxiously they were spoken.
Oz nodded then sat back in his chair, looking chill as always, "You know, there was this thing I read about marriage, that it is all about trust and honesty and communication. This isn't an accusation or anything, but I'm thinking we need to work on that right now."
A blush washed over Willow's cheeks, turning her face near the same shade of red as her face, "Oz, I'm not purposefully lying, I do trust you...okay you caught me on the whole not communicating, but I want to, I'm just...too nervous to get the words out."
He sat back in his chair, watching the emotions play across her face, "Is this about the baby?"
Willow's head shot up in alarm, her jaw dropped in shock. "I didn't say...Wait, you know!...When?...How do you know?"
"Breathe Willow." Oz replied calmly, as his wife boarded on hyperventilation. When she breathed, he leaning forwards and rested his arms on his knees before offering his wife an explanation. "Little over two months now, you've smelled...different."
He looked up at her, guilt in his light eyes, "Asked Angel about learning to expand my wolf senses. Long story short, I now recognize pregnancy hormones scent...and well...Buffy isn't the only one wearing Eau de Pregnant."
She didn't think she'd be able to blush more, but somehow she did. "Oh."
"Yeah."
There wasn't much else to say between them for a moment before Willow threw herself into an apology, "Oz, I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you first. I feel terrible. It's just...we never actually talked about having kids. It was just one of those things that, 'someday, when we're ready, we'll talk about it', and then someday was suddenly here and...and I blew it." 'Now I know how Buffy felt when she conceived Katie and didn't tell Angel...'
"You didn't blow it." The auburn haired man assured before adding quietly, "But not telling me. I can't say that doesn't hurt."
Wrapping her arms around herself, she buried her face in her hands, "I'm so sorry Oz, I didn't intent to hurt you and I should have told you as soon as I knew...but...I was scared."
"Scared of me? Or because you don't want a little werewolf." It was a question, but Oz didn't ask it like one. He was sure he knew the answer.
Unwinding herself and leaving her chair, Willow ignored the current awkward between them and sat in her husband's lap, wrapping her arms around him, "Don't misunderstand me, I want a child with you." She smiled, "You're cousin Jordan was adorable as a kid, even if he was a little terror. I think I could handle another lunar based life in the house, I mean, it's not like we don't already schedule for the full moon."
He didn't openly say anything, but she read the relief in his eyes and felt the stiffness in his shoulders relax a bit.
"I was more worried about myself than the baby. I'm okay with being a werewolf's wife and mom...but, Oz, I don't mean to sound like I have anything against what you are, I just...I don't want to be a werewolf too."
She leaned against him, needing his warmth and support, "I love you, but I love me too, just how I am. If I change...I don't know how that would affect me and especially my magic... I just want to stay Willow the witch, not Willow the were-witch."
Oz nodded as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, "You're scared the baby will bite you." It sounded reasonable enough, babies and toddlers weren't exactly trainable to not bite people and pass on the transferable condition to others, nor could you consciously muzzle a child.
"Not on purpose, but yeah, the fear is there." The red headed witch admitted, feeling a little selfish.
"Do you want to...not have this baby?" The werewolf asked his wife, fearing she might not have told him about the pregnancy if she wasn't sure she wanted it to go to term.
Willow took his hands in hers, squeezing them before wrapping them over her stomach, "Of everything I've ever done in my life, I feel like this baby is the absolute most magical. We created this together Oz, a life, just you and me. Yes, I'm scared, but I've never wanted anything more."
He pulled her tight, their lips meeting as they kissed their joy together.
"I get that." Oz spoke once they broke apart, "Like writing a fine piece of music, I can already hear it." He tapped his fingers over her belly, quick rhythmic taps.
"What is it?" She asked, not sure if that was supposed to be music.
"The heartbeat." The part-time demon explained, still drumming his digits over her skin, "The beat pattern, each is an original performance, composed live and never to be replayed in exactly the same way. I agree, it is magical...and a bit terrifying."
"Scared of diapers?" She teased.
"No, commitment. That's the thing of nightmares." Those blue eyes sparkled even with his face remaining neutral.
Willow smiled, "I don't know, I think you commit very well." She told him as she ran her thumb over his wedding ring.
He seemed to digest that thought a moment, "Maybe." Came the classic Oz stoic reply.
Kissing his cheek, "Trust me, you're rated much higher than a maybe. You're an amazing husband. You'll be a great dad too."
"Would you be upset if I told you the thought makes me anxious? You anxious is adorable, but me anxious isn't so pretty. In fact, it can get rather hairy." The werewolf pointed out, feeling like he might turn either red or fuzzy at any moment.
"Hey, you're not going to bail in the middle of an upsetting conversation, no matter how dramatic it would be." Willow assured him when he looked like a flight risk, rubbing his shoulders to help relax him, "Besides, we still have six months before anything changes in our lives. That's plenty of time for the terror, confusion and paranoia."
"Just six?" He asked, those sky colored eyes skimming down her to stomach.
The color returned to her cheeks, "I haven't had my period in 3 months...so I'm guessing."
Nodding, he added, "Yeah, sounds about right." His memories of her scent changing was for about that length of time. The fact it had already been three months came as a surprise to both of them.
"Well, on the bright side." Willow added, "At least we skipped over the 'we're not far enough along to tell people yet' stage."
"Always a bonus." He agreed.
After a few moments of just sitting together and thinking of what they had coming, Willow asked, "What do we do now?"
"Cower in a closet?"
At her look, answered back more optimistically, "When faced with overwhelming challenges against the unknown and being completely uncertain of the future...we do what we always do."
With a smile she asked, "What's that?"
He shrugged, as he replied, pulling her in for a kiss. "Panic?"
"I like panicking" The witch replied, kissing back.
"Pretty sure that's what started all this." He teased as they exited the kitchen to find a more comfortable spot to 'panic'.
...
May 28, 2009 - Coffee Meeting
It had only been like five minutes since Buffy hung up the phone, and already she felt an uncomfortable mix of relief and anxiety.
'Maybe I should go talk to him right now, just get all my cards on the table and see what hand he plays?'
It was a thought, there was also the option to wait until after bed, maybe throw it at him after a nice long lovemaking session so he'll be just the right amount of relaxed and sex dazed to not be paying full attention. 'Except I'm usually in the same mindset...'
Not one to procrastinate, Buffy made up her mind to just jump right into the fire and gave the outside world right beyond her office window one last look before heading across the room and out the door into the hall.
The trip wasn't long, her goal had been the office next to hers. Without bothering to knock, she let herself in, closed the door behind her, and strolled over to the desk in the corner, which was occupied by her husband as he mulled over a stack of reports and anonymous tips supplied to Angel Investigations by the LA police department.
Not all their 'helping of the helpless' came from the police, but it was a convenient way to find those who needed the kind of help that a gun and a badge hadn't been able to offer.
When his wheeled chair was pulled from the desk, the current file he'd been skimming was slipped from his hands and his wife's body sat itself down into his lap , Angel looked up at her with a raised brow, "What's up?"
Flashing him a sexy smile, "Nothing yet, but I'm sure I could fix that."
That elicited a grin from him, and a hope of maybe she came in here for a little afternoon delight. "It certainly has potential."
Leaning in for a teasing kiss, she cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips to his, savoring the taste of her Angel that filled her mouth.
'Okay Buffy, you came in here on a mission, stop pretending this is part of it.' Pulling back from those yummy lips, she leaned her forehead against his.
He knew something was bothering his wife, just in the sudden tension that filled her muscles. Her lips were wonderful, but there was a zing missing, he could feel her distraction. "Not that I'm complaining, but what did you really come in here for?"
Without answering immediately, she turned to sit a little more comfortably in his lap, her back to his chest, her head resting beside his to lean against his neck and he in turn wrapping his arms around her waist, where they automatically began to caress the gentle swell in her abdomen.
Going for it, she explained, "I just got off the phone with Hank, we're meeting for coffee tomorrow afternoon."
Buffy was certain the cooler feeling in her skin had nothing to do with the temperature inside the room and 100% to do with the living vampire she was using as a chair.
He was biting the inside of his cheek, she could tell by the way his jaw was clenching, "You're going alone?" 'Is she purposely leaving me out of the picture?' Already uncomfortable with her volunteering any of her time to that son-of-a-bitch.
The hurt in his tone was evident.
She turned her head, purposely remaining close as she answered him, "Angel, I'm not ditching you. I just need to talk to him alone first but not because I don't want you there or trust you. It's Hank I don't trust. I need to know he isn't going to be a threat to you too. He needs to know there will be no welcome back into my life if he isn't accepting who I chose as my husband. In my opinion, any grudges or ill will towards you also reflects to me and the kids...and I won't stand for that."
Kissing his cheek, she finished, "As extra cream filling, I'm pretty sure Hank is terrified of you, so I'm only going alone so I can get a better read on him without you intimidating him."
When the man shaped ball of seething anger under her didn't reply, Buffy took his cheeks into her hands, her thumbs rubbing them as she spoke, "Please talk to me."
Part of him wanted to throw her off his lap, the other half wanted to pull her tighter and maybe lay her on his desk and pound some sense into her.
Instead, he sighed as she lowered her hands, then leaned close, touching his forehead to hers. "I don't want to fight with you Buffy, but I really hate that guy."
A small teasing smile tugged at her lips, "Angel, you've pretty much hated every guy in my life that wasn't you."
He sent her a 'don't start' look with his firm denial of, "No I reserve that hate for guys who are supposed to love and accept you unconditionally but try to kill you."
"Not to state the obvious Honey, but you yourself have been both." Buffy hadn't really wanted to rub his nose in his 'being evil and trying to kill her' past, but apparently he'd needed a reality check. "I forgave you, which okay, you hadn't had a soul at the time so it wasn't really your fault, but if memory serves me correctly, you'd had plenty of brain-fail moments where you think you're doing the right thing but instead I got hurt. The only difference between you and my dad was most of the pain you caused was emotional." She didn't feel like she had to actually say examples like his recent removal of his wedding ring, or more distant cases of him biting her then taking off or any time he'd out right walked out.
"That was different." The reply came all growly and hurt, but she wasn't letting him squirm away when he tried.
"The point wasn't to upset you Angel, but I do need to pound it into you that I can't hold one action against my father forever without ever trying to see if those wounds can heal. He knows he screwed up, he wants forgiveness. After marrying the King-of-Brood, I can't deny my own father a chance for redemption."
Angel hated that she was right, but he also hated being reminded of his fuck-ups. Instead of dwelling on those, he tried to picture a scenario in his mind where Katie was grown and had a boyfriend, he couldn't picture ever hurting Katie like Hank had Buffy, but he did try to put himself in a similar pair of shoes. 'If I ever hurt Katie like that, I'd stake myself.' He didn't really think he would, there was Buffy and Liam and this new baby to think of too, who knows, maybe Buffy would let him have more children in the future, but he wouldn't be able to kill himself, there were too many in his life he couldn't bear to leave.
Buffy could see the internal debate going on behind her husband's dark eyes, it always amazed her how much of his soul she could really see in those deep brown windows.
If felt like forever had passed as she sat there in his lap, toying with the ring on his finger before he spoke, "Fine."
Turning her head and facing him she raised an eyebrow, "Fine what? Please add substance."
After a moment, he elaborated, "I know you're not asking for my permission to see him, but I'll give you my blessing. I'll trust your judgment of him, if you decide he's fit to be in our life, then he will be."
Warmth and love for this man welled up in a rush as she wrapped her arms around him and thanked him with a big, deep kiss.
He pulled her back after a few lip locking moments, adding with a unnervingly cold and even tone, "But understand this Buffy, if Hank ever puts any of our lives in danger again, I will kill him."
His eyes met hers, they were all Angelus at the moment, he wasn't joking. This was a dead serious promise.
A part of her wanted to argue against the threat, but she knew she wouldn't win against that tone. "Then I'll have to make sure he doesn't." Was all she'd say about that.
Any thoughts of smoochies was long gone as she turned to rise off his lap, but he pulled her backwards and back down against him, his hands covering over the gentle swell of her 4 mouth baby bump, "Are you going to tell him about this?"
His tone was softer now, that evil swirl had mixed back into the rest of him.
With her fingers lacing though his, she leaned back, comfortable against him again now that the warmth had returned, "Not yet, this meeting is just a scouting mission. If he doesn't pass though my fine tooth comb, he's out of the loop."
"Okay." He pressed a kiss to her temple before releasing her, but she made no effort to move.
"Can we maybe get back to how this conversation started?" Right now, some nice long mouth to mouth sounded delicious.
He turned his head when she leaned in to kiss him, presenting his cheek instead of his lips, "No."
A winkled creased her brow as her eyebrows drew down in hurt and confusion, "No?"
"No." He confirmed, "Let it be a lesson to you, we either kiss or talk about your father. Both will not happen in the same setting." With that said, he shifted her up off his lap and back to her own feet.
Pouting at the sudden loss of his lap, "Since when do you say no to me?"
"Since right now." He pulled his chair back up against his desk, "Besides, I need to finish reading these reports before my class and you are just about late for Faith's class you volunteered to cover."
Her eyes darted to the clock as she suddenly remembered having agreed to that this morning, "Crap, that was today?"
"Yes, now run along before you're late." He added with a teasing smirk.
"Run along, huh?" She glared at him, "So staking you later." She mock threatened as she leaned down as slapped a kiss on his cheek.
Chuckling, he counter kissed before breaking away and flashing her a 'shoo' motion, "Promises, promises, now go before you're late."
"I'm already late." She teased as she rubbed her prego-belly, a smile on her lips as she winked at him.
He shook his head as he picked up his last report and she headed out of his office as she tried to remember what class she was teaching.
...
Next Day, May 29, 2009
'This shouldn't feel like a stakeout.' Buffy thought as she stared out the tall tinted windows of Angel Investigation's front lobby, her hazel-green eyes tacked to the little coffee shop across the street.
It was early yet, the meeting wasn't taking place until 2:45pm, but she'd been watching the clock almost neurotically since 2pm. At 2:15 she'd started pacing in her office and at 2:30 exactly she was standing where she was now, watching and waiting for the god awful hands to take absolutely forever to rotate the face of the damn clock. 'Note to self, retrofit the lobby with digital clocks, they move faster.'
Silently, she cursed her husband having his last class from 2-3:30. He could have been a pleasant distraction, granted there was a high probability she would have ended up being late if she had been able to use him to speed up time.
Plus, there was some serious debate going on in her head about her choice of outfit, she was contemplating running back upstairs to change into a more hip 'coffee with dad' shirt than the light blue floral monstrosity that had seemed cute at the store but now practically screamed 'I have 2 kids and a husband that ruin all my nice things'.
However the time to do that was abruptly cut short as she spotted her father's mid-life crises fancy red convertible dart past. A moment later, the flashing yellow blinker indicated the intended turn, then it vanished around the corner to the communal parking lot out back.
A few minutes later, she watched her father heading down the sidewalk before pausing before the coffee shop door. He seemed to be consulting a slip of paper from his pocket before opening the door and heading inside.
"Show time." Buffy whispered under her breath as she waved to the secretary and slipped out the door into the mid afternoon sun.
Pulling her jacket tighter around her, entirely for self-conscious reasons than temperature as it had to be well over 70F in the city from the smoggy heated cars and the sun absorbing into the asphalt, she pressed the crosswalk button and waited a little impatiently until the mini light up walking man indicated it was safe to enter the street.
Not trusting her life to a few white bulbs, she checked the status of the road with her own eyes, narrowly avoiding a driver speeding into the crosswalk while turning right on red. Grumbling at the crappy traffic laws, she hurried quicker and reached the relative safety of the other sidewalk.
Checking her coat again, she breezed right thought The Coffee Bean's front door, immediately spotting her father waving her over to where he was sitting at a small table for two by the back wall.
"Hi. Wow look at you Buffy, your practically glowing." There was an awkward moment when he made to stand and give her a hug, but she raised her hand in a 'not quite there yet' gesture, which knocked some of the happy from his smile.
"Must be the funky blue lighting." She commented about the cool toned bulb in the overhead lamp being the source of her 'glow' as she settled into the chair across from him. In those next few moments, they looked at each other with a weird mix of 'we know each other' and 'we're strangers' emotions passing between them.
"I'll grab us some drinks, what do you want?" Mr. Summers spoke as he pushed his chair out and stood, pulling a credit card from his wallet.
"Hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and a bagel with peanut butter?" The small blonde answered, reaching for her purse for the money.
"It's on me." He told her as he headed over to the short line.
A few minutes later he returned with the ordered items, a large coffee for himself and a blueberry muffin.
Settling back into the seat, they both found the beverages far too hot for human consumption.
"So, how have you been?" Hank asked after peeling the baking paper off his muffin, determined to have his eldest daughter back in his life and willing to jump feet first into anything that might make that happen.
Her eyes had been watching his hands as he peeled the paper, the fingers on his right noticeably less dexterous than his left. Forcing her eyes away and unknotting her own fingers from her hands, Buffy managed a shy smile, "Good. We're all doing good."
Nodding, "That's...good." The brunette man replied, wondering how to break the ice.
He'd noticed her eyeing his right hand, but he didn't feel comfortable talking about the disability to her yet. He didn't want anything he said about Angel crushing it to sound like an accusation against the living vampire. As far as Hank was concerned, he ruined his own hand by pulling the trigger that fired the bullet into his own daughter, Angel's breaking of that said hand was just karma-related blowback. So he kept the subject off the table.
"And you?" Buffy asked, remembering her manors as she at last met his eyes.
Glad for the opening, Hank smiled as he spoke, "I've been adjusting pretty well back into LA life. I've been working for an old colleague, mostly as a consultant. While travelling with...that demon I used to know (Melissa), I had been renting out my property, but the renters lease ended a few months ago, so instead of renewing, I've moved back into our old home. It's nothing like it was before...but it's nice to be surrounded by so many memories of happier times."
Buffy was surprised by that, "I'd thought you sold everything when you left."
"At the time, it might have been more of a business decision for the rent money, but I'm glad I made the right choice in keeping it." His smile faltered, "It might have been the only right choice I've made in a long, long time."
After a moment of silence, Buffy supplied, "The skates were a right choice too, Katie loved them."
Hank's blue eye grew animated, "I knew it, she might look like her father, but she's just like you as a little girl. You took her to the rink? How'd she do? Is she as natural on the ice as her mother?"
A smile blossomed across her face as Buffy remembered the previous Saturday, she'd dragged Angel along with the kids to the closet ice skating rink, she'd claimed it was so Katie could try skating, but secretly she'd been just as anxious to get on the ice again herself.
Her mouth just starting moving, explaining in detail how much the kids had enjoyed it and grinning to herself how much a klutz her usually graceful husband had been.
Once she found him a hockey stick, Angel had been much more confident on the ice, to the point she actually had to drag him off once the kids were tired out and ready for a nap.
Hank surprised her when he asked if Angel had a favorite hockey team.
"Umm...the Philadelphia Flyers, why?" The daughter questioned her father with a note of suspicion.
Hank sent her a mocking wounded expression, "What? I'm a sports fan too, I just never used to have much time to sit and watch it, but I figure it's perhaps a conversation starter the next time my son-in-law has me in a choke hold."
"Angel's not going to put you in a choke hold." Buffy firmly denied, 'Or I might have to put him in one right back. Actually, that kind of sounds like fun. Sparing usually ends in something I really shouldn't be thinking about while sitting across from my father.'
The aging man looking worried a moment before he asked, "You didn't...I mean Angel's not...does he know you're here with me right now?" The terrible thought of an angry part demon showing up and breaking him in half suddenly crossed his mind, or of Buffy going home and them starting a fight about this meeting. Neither option appealed to him.
He might not particularly like Angel and he was afraid of him, but he wanted to do anything he could to try and mend that dislike. The guy was the father of his grandchildren and his daughter's husband, any future he wanted to have with Buffy would include the living demon.
Buffy raised an eyebrow at that, "Why? Do you think I need a permission slip to be away from my husband?" She didn't really want to keep deflecting questions back at her dad like this, but she did need to know how he really felt about Angel. Any potential future with him depended on there not being any hate or grudges.
Seeing he was walking on thin ice, Hank quickly corrected himself, "No, nothing like that. I just...I already put a strain on your marriage once, I don't want your interactions with me to put any more on it." 'Also, I don't actually want to die...'
Liking that answer, Buffy offered him a smile as she leaned back into her chair, "Angel knows and agreed with it. I'll admit he wasn't what I'd call thrilled about the idea when I first told him, but I have a way of talking him into things." 'I just need to keep reminding Angel, I hold the power, and he usually falls for it.'
Visibly relaxing, Hank took a long sip of his now temperate enough to consume without major mouth burn coffee. "Okay, that's good, I'm glad. I love you Buffy and I don't want to cause you any more heartaches that I already have, especially involving your family."
"I'll second the no more heartaches." She replied, the two of them now moving into a more comfortable conversation.
"So how did you know Angel and I were in LA?" The curiosity finally popped out after her last swallow of peanut buttered bagel.
Hank at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Truthfully, it wasn't intentional. I got a call one night about a month ago from one of the Private Investigators I'd contacted when I first went looking for you. He told me, in a rather rude formatting, you were listed in both the yellow and white pages of the LA area phone book."
Hank sat back, playing with his half eaten muffin, "At first I thought the guy was nuts, but then I checked and found a A & B Summers in the listing. Then I thought I was nuts when I saw an Angel Investigations ad in the yellow pages. It took about a week to talk myself into it, but I took a drive by the home address one night. Sure enough, your actual house from Ohio was sitting right here in LA, complete with the GTX in the driveway."
'Willow.' Buffy thought, realizing when the magic that moved the building went down, it would have also acted on the people and items associated with LA. When the house and business 'left' Ohio, all the associated documents, references and memories were adjusted for it appearing in LA.
"Nope, no one is nuts." Buffy agreed, "Just magic."
Hank looked amazed, "You didn't..."
Holding her hands up, "Oh no, not me. I am not magic-able. My best friend Willow is the one with the major mojo." 'I still can't believe we're pregnant together!'
"Really, the red head with the quiet husband?" The older man inquired, remembering meeting the young woman and the guy, Oz, in passing a few times when they were babysitting the kids.
"That would be her." The blonde agreed, enjoying the awe showing on his face.
Before he found out about Melissa being a demon, Hank wasn't the sort of man who would believe in anything supernatural, especially magic.
Magic was just an illusion, a cute trick for kids. Monsters were something you stopped believing in around the same time as the tooth fairy and Santa.
Now however, it didn't matter if he believed it or not, his eyes were now open to this whole new world of things that shouldn't be physically possible. Insistence on blind ignorance might have been able to sway his mind into forgetting, but this new crazy-based world was where his daughters lived, so he decided then and there it would be his world too.
...
The hot drinks were long since cooled and drank, the snacks nothing but a few scattered crumbs. An hour of falling back into old times and sharing some new stories seemed to have flown by before it was just about time to go.
"Angel will be finishing his last class soon, I'll like to be back before then." Buffy admitted, rising and debating with herself if she should finally relent and give her father the hug he'd been looking for earlier.
Hank nodded as he stood and collected his coat off the back of the chair, "That's fine, I'm more than happy you gave me this long."
Giving in, she stepped forwards and pulled him into a quick embrace, her cheeks warming as she felt him kiss the top of her head as he hugged back, "I missed you."
"Me too." She answered against him, "Next time, I'll invite Angel and Dawn, maybe we can all have dinner?" If he passed round two, the third meeting would involve the kids. Buffy had no intention of bringing Hank back into their lives before she knew he'd be able to stick around.
His smile was authentic, "I'd like that."
Side by side they headed out the door and lingered on the sidewalk, neither really wanting to leave just yet.
The curiosity finally got the better of his judgment and Hank asked, "So when are you due?"
Buffy blinked at him, not having said anything even remotely to him about being pregnant. "When am I do to what?" She threw back quickly, not sure she was ready to for him to know just yet.
Just in the way she flustered and got defensive, he knew he hit the nail on the head. Ever since she was able to talk, she'd been unable to lie to him without his reading it all over her face and in her body language. As a parent herself now, he was a little surprised she didn't realize this already.
"Buffy, from the moment I saw you today, you've had this glow about you." He began, "You've been wrapped in that rather baggy coat the whole time, and you were always the first to shed a layer when inside. Then my little caffeine-aholic, you ordered a hot chocolate instead of the largest caffeinated beverage on the menu. Lastly, you were all over that peanut butter bagel, which reminded me of your mother's peanut butter addition when she was carrying you and Dawnie."
She stared at him with a mix of awe and horror. 'He did not just do that.'
"Was I wrong?" He asked, knowing he wasn't and hungry for verification.
Finally she huffed out a annoyed sigh as she rolled her eyes, "Are parent's always this creepy about gross invasion into one's personal life?" After a second, she thought about her own kids, especially Angel's ability to read them, "Don't answer that." She added quickly.
Feeling like he overstepped his bounds, he stood back with his hands raised, "Okay, I'm sorry, I never said anything. Let's just pretend the last two minutes didn't happen." He really hoped he didn't just screw up his chances with her.
After a moment of watching him squirm, she finally granted him a pass and answered him, "November."
There was no way he could have faked the enthusiasm that lit his face upon her admitting she was pregnant, she knew he was legit excited. In just under a second, the worry lines vanished and he looked ten years younger, "Will I be getting another grandson or granddaughter?"
Leaning against the bricked side of the building, Buffy shrugged, "We didn't test for gender, either way we're happy."
Hank gave her a disbelieving look, "You're not even curious?"
With a sly smile, Buffy added, "Angel says a girl, and since his hunches are freakily accurate, I'm inclined to believe him."
"Boy, Girl, something demonic...I don't even care anymore, I'll love any and all grandchildren you give me." They weren't emotionally close enough at the moment for him to touch her belly, but she did notice his eyes scan over her abdomen a few times.
Her cheeks warmed, "Let's not hope for something demonic...not that I wouldn't love them anyways...but...let's just not go there." Her husband did have a demon in him, she herself had a demon essence, it wasn't impossible the next bundle of joy could come with a tail or a second pair of teeth.
It wasn't a direction she wanted her mind to wander in.
Getting her mind back to the here and now, "Before this gets awkward-er, I'm gunna run."
Holding up his keys, Hank asked, "Need a ride?"
Buffy shook her head and jerked her thumb across the street to where the Angel Investigations building loomed up over the surrounding businesses. "Pretty much already there."
He seemed to notice the familiar building for the first time, still amazed the whole thing literally moved here from half way across the country. "Oh, right."
"Okay, well..." He looked down at his feet before lifting his blue eyes to Joyce's hazel-green, "Thank you so much for giving me a second...well I guess this is technically my third chance, either way Buffy, I really appreciate it." His second chance had ended when he's pulled a gun on Angel. He was on his third and final chance. One more strike...
Stepping into his arms again, she hugged him back, "I know, just keep in mind that additional chances are now out of stock, so don't ask for another." 'Because there won't be one, you screw up again, and I might not be able to stop Angel from killing you.'
When he pulled back, he looked her over, "I won't need another. What I didn't understand back in September is this: You haven't changed one bit in all these years."
'So not true. I actually had a beeper...and worried about having 'mom hair' before I actually became a mom and had 'mom hair'...'
At her questioning look he continued before she could ask, "Ever since you learned to talk, you've been telling me what you want. From a toddler asking for ice cream to a child asking for a toy to a teen asking for clothes. You always knew exactly what it is you wanted, and when your mother or I tried to talk you into the less expensive, near identical knockoff, you would point out the differences and clearly say, 'No Dad, this is the one I want'."
He leaned against the wall as he looked her over, still seeing her as the little bight eyed pig-tailed four year old she used to be. He give her that classic dad smile, "I should have listened when you clearly told me in so many words that 'Angel is the one you want.' If I had done that then, I would have known I couldn't have changed your mind. You never were swayable from something once you decided on it, and whatever it is you wanted, you've always wanted it with all your heart."
Standing on that street corner in the middle on LA, she felt totally naked. 'Okay, not as opaque as I thought I was.'
He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "No matter how old you get Buffy, you'll always be my little girl. So remember all that you're going though now with your own children, I already did it with you."
...
Buffy was still feeling a little dazed as she stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall to her husband's office. Detecting he was inside, she slipped in and closed the door behind her, finding her spouse just finishing dressing after a quick shower. Training classes tended to leave him sweaty and sore, the hot soapy water removed both the smell and the pain.
"So how did everything go?" Angel asked as he closed the distance between them, already able to smell the scent of Hank all over her. 'Maybe I should have waited for her to get back, we could have showered together...'
Removing her coat, she dropped it on the back of the couch as she kissed him hello. "Better than I imagined."
"Oh?" Angel didn't have to fake interest, in fact, he wanted a play by play.
After settling on the couch, she told him about the meeting, letting her smile speak for itself that she'd truly had a pleasant experience.
"You should have seen how excited he got about the baby. It was the difference between night and day." She suddenly missed her mom that much more, upset she never got the chance to hear about being a grandmother.
Angel's brows pulled down, "I thought you weren't going to tell him about the baby yet." It wasn't an accusation, but he was curious as to why she changed her mind.
Leaning against him as his wandering hands traced over her belly, she answered, "I technically didn't. He already knew."
"Dawn?" It seemed reasonable she could be the leak.
To keep her sister out of hot water because she was innocent, Buffy explained, "No, he kinda pulled an Angel on me." She answered while giving him a accusing glance.
"Pulled a me on you?" Angel asked, not understanding what she meant.
With a grin, she kicked off her shoes, turned and pulled her feet up on the couch before answering, "Well, he didn't use smell or taste or whatever invasive techniques you use to find stuff out about me, but he read me." She told him what her father had noticed; her 'glow', the coat, lack of coffee and a peanut butter addiction.
By the time she was done explaining, Angel was nodding his approval while she snuggled up beside him.
Her fingers were lacing though his when he leaned over and kissed her cheek, "For a guy who ignored you for almost a decade, he seems pretty fluent in Buffy-language."
"Are you jealous?" She teased, wanting to know how he felt about everything. The future with her dad did also depend of how Angel felt of having him around.
"No way." Angel answered as he drew her into his lap, "You're his daughter...but you're my wife. I clearly get the better deal here."
Giggling, she kissed him, "Mmm, now let's stop talking about you know who so I can keep kissing you."
His lips answered, but the reply had no words as all.
...
That night, at home, as she lay in bed wrapped around her snoring lover, she smiled to herself. 'Had a good day with my dad and I didn't lose Angel in the process, hopefully we can put that cycle on repeat.'
With a smile on her lips, she let herself drift to sleep and dreamed of a future where her family was finally whole.
...
Okay, I think that ties up any loose ends with the three Daddy's with Issues, Angel, Hank and Oz.